


Amos Burton's Super Soft First Birthday

by tiny_increments



Category: The Expanse (TV), The Expanse Series - James S. A. Corey
Genre: Amos has lived a Hard Life, Gen, Prax is a beloved outsider, The Roci is his family, established Jim/Naomi (but this isn't a ship fic)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27597008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiny_increments/pseuds/tiny_increments
Summary: Amos has never had a birthday party. His Roci fam decides to change that.
Relationships: Amos Burton & Jim Holden & Naomi Nagata
Comments: 16
Kudos: 58





	Amos Burton's Super Soft First Birthday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [campitor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/campitor/gifts).



> It all started with this [1st Birthday nonsense](https://pig-wings.tumblr.com/post/634064910253457408/no-thoughts-head-full-of-the-concept-of-the-roci). Sorry that I'm the slowest writer _ever_ and this is probably way OOC, but I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Title and some of the story inspired by Letterkenny Season 1, episode 2. Everyone do yourself a favor and go watch it!)

Amos woke with a start. 

There was _banging_ outside his cabin.

Heart rate elevated and pulse throbbing in his ears, he grabbed his pistol as he rolled off the crash couch and stepped carefully towards the door of his cabin. His back pressed against the wall, he checked the magazine as his hearing finally woke up and the words outside started to come together.

“For he’s a jolly good fellow, which nobody can—”

“What the _fuck_ , guys?” Amos interrupted as his cabin door whooshed open, revealing Jim and Naomi each wearing feather boas and holding makeshift instruments — Jim using a metal food container and the soft end of a screwdriver and Naomi holding two plastic plates.

“It’s your birthday!” Naomi practically sang through an impossibly wide smile and clapped the plates together over her head a few times.

“What? No, it’s not,” Amos stressed every syllable, thoroughly unamused by the situation. He suddenly remembered the uncocked gun in his hand but made no move to put it down. Boss and Cap might have completely lost their minds and as much as he’d hate it if he’d have to intervene — he wanted to be ready.

“Jim,” Naomi frowned and stopped her noisemaking, turning to her captain in mock chiding, “did you know it’s _not_ Amos’s birthday today?”

“Gee, Naomi, he told me he didn’t know his birthday.” Jim looked quizzically at the engineer. “Hmm. Guess we can just forget the party, then, eh, big guy?”

Amos frowned and bit the inside of his cheek, debating whether to stay angry or surrender to the joke. He scratched his stubble and rested a shoulder against the door frame.

“What kind of party?”

“Do you promise to come?”

He rolled his eyes and licked his lips in annoyance before staring right into Naomi’s eyes.

“ _What_ kind of party?”

Naomi gave a small giggle as she looked over to Jim, who was also trying to stifle a laugh. 

All three of their hand terminals pinged in chorus.

Amos narrowed his eyes in suspicion, slowly backing away from the doorway and away from an increasingly deranged Naomi and Jim, towards his desk to swipe open the notification. 

The invite appeared onscreen. 

His face fell. 

He shook his head slowly and calmly rested his gun on the tabletop. 

“I better be absolutely _wasted_ if you think I’m coming to this.”

He’d never heard Naomi squeal with joy like that before.

***

***

“I don’t think we had this much glitter at Mei’s last birthday party,” Prax quipped as he set out party hats and plates on the galley table, which was covered in sparkles and star-shaped confetti. “He’s gonna hate this, you know.”

“Nah,” Naomi waved an arm as if she were batting away Prax’s dissent and continued hanging streamers from the ceiling. “There’s food and booze and us. Amos loves all those things.”

“And he’s currently nursing a bottle of whiskey on the bridge with Alex, so he’ll be in rare form,” Jim walked in, carrying a medium-sized metal box that looked like a speaker. “Where do you want karaoke set up, honey?”

“Under the banner, I think.”

“Where did you even get all this stuff? Hard to believe you had everything on-hand.”

The couple exchanged a smile from across the room.

“Jim and I ran a few errands that last time we were docked, hid a few things in our resupply order …”

“Sam demanded pictures, by the way,”

“Of course she did.” Naomi rolled her eyes in amusement. “I wonder if getting him in a tiara would help or hurt his chances.”

“You of all people should know she’s not interested in him like that.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not funny to think about.”

“Uh, is there anything else I can do?” Prax couldn’t help but feel like he was intruding, as if his presence had been completely forgotten as Jim and Naomi bantered. Not forgotten out of malice, of course, but the incredible closeness of the _Rocinante_ crew was intimidating to be around sometimes. “I feel useless just hanging around.”

“Never useless,” Jim clapped him on the shoulder and led him to the fridge. “Let’s mix up some drinks!”

***

Half a bottle of whiskey warmed Amos’s veins as he stepped into the galley that evening — Jim forcing a party hat on him and Naomi leading him to a pile of wrapped presents on the galley table — but his discomfort still itched.

Prax was right. Amos _hated_ this.

The crew had had parties before — Jim was a good captain like that, knowing they ran a lean ship and needed to let loose even between dockings — but never with a singular focus like a _birthday_ party. And especially never focused on _him_. Growing up like he did, being noticed got you killed.

But somewhere between the cake and gifts and his fourth glass of something Jim insisted on calling “Purple Passion Punch,” Alex’s crooning on the karaoke machine tugged a little too hard on the mechanic’s heartstrings, and he felt a wave of emotion he hadn’t felt before — or, at least, not that he ever remembered feeling.

“Hey,” Jim smiled paternally as he put his hand over Amos’s, as if he knew what the man was feeling at that moment. “Thanks for being born. I’m really glad you’re here.”

“We’re all glad,” Naomi sat on Jim’s lap and reached her hand across the table to also rest on Amos’s.

“I’m …” Amos didn’t expect his words to get caught in his throat. “I’m gonna go hit the head,” He coughed and slid off the chair, hoping no one else would notice his facade slipping. “Unless that was your way of offering a birthday threesome?”

Jim threw his head back in hearty laughter.

Amos smiled as warm tears pressed against his eyes.

_Love you, too, Cap._

  
  



End file.
